Occupant propelled unicycle



Mrch 26, 1963 0. E. CORNELL m, ETAL 3,083,036

OCCUPANT PROPELLED UNICYCLE Filed May 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORS' yaw March 26, 1963 n. E. CORNELL m, EI'AL 3,

OCCUPANT PROPELLED UNICYCLE' 'Filed May 5. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS United States Patent 3,083,036 'OCCUPANT PROPELLED UNICYCLEDudley E. Cornell Ill, Albuquerque, and Robert O'Connell, (Iedar Crest,N. Mex ass gnors to Unicycic Corporation of America, a dlvlsicn of PushButton Container Corporation, Albuquerque, N. Mex.,

a cerporaticn at New Mexico Fiied May 3, 1961, Ser. No. 107,353 Claims.(6i. 280-205) This invention is directed to a novel cycle vehicle and,more particularly, to a self-propelled unicycle of simplifiedconstruction.

In the unicycles developed to date it has been necessary to have acomplex and expensive construction far greater than the simplicity ofthe device might indicate. In particular, the prior art devices comprisea large number of parts for assembly and disassembly for the removal andrepair of the wheel and its tire. Furthermore, at the point of deliveryfor assembly, the large number of parts requires considerableinstruction for the initial assembly of the devices or, if transportedin assembled form, cause the devices to be awkward and expensive forshipment. In order to provide strong devices there are involved a seriesof steps including welding, the aggregate of which steps substantiallyincreases the costs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unicycle having only afew parts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a unicycle havingparts of a relatively low cost.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a unicycle whichis easy to assemble and disassemble.

It is a still further object to provide a unicycle having very highstrength to meet the shocks encountered in the use of this relativelyunstable device.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the device, from the appendedclaims and from the appended drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

In the appended drawing:

FIGURE I is an isometric view of our assembled unicycle.

FIGURE II is an isometric drawing of the basic structural elements ofour novel cycle fork with the two parts shown in exploded relationship.

FIGURE III is a detailed view of the hub and fork assembly with partsbroken away to reveal interior elements, some of which are shown incross-section.

FIGURE IV is a detail of the arrangement for attaching the crank arm tothe shaft.

FIG. IVA is a further detail of the cranking arm attaching arrangement.

Like numbers appearing in the diflerent figures refer to the same orequivalent parts.

The objects of our invention are obtained by providing a self-propelledunicycle vehicle as shown in the drawings, which, as illustrated ingeneral in FIGURE I, comprises the elements of a wheel 1 attached toaxle or shaft 7; pedals 2 on crank arms'3 also attached to axle 7bearings 4 fixed at the ends of the arms of fork 5; seat 6 with a post19 inserted in the neck of fork 5 so as to be adjustable in heightrelative to the axle or shaft 7. The inner races of ball bearings 4surround and support axle or shaft 7. The outer races of said ballbearings 4 are friction fit into the circular openings 8 provided at theextremities of the fork 5.

The crank arm 3 is provided with a circular opening 10 at the extremityopposite to the pedal so as to fit over the end of the axle '7. In orderto hold the crank arm on the shaft to prevent its sliding off the endand also to hold the crank arm so that it Will not rotate relative tothe shaft, there is provided a flat slot 18 on, and

spaced from the end, of the shaft 7. Through the crank arm 3 at rightangles to the axis of the circular opening 10, a second and smallercircular opening 12 intersects opening 10 not along a diameter thereof,but on a line a few thousandths closer to the axis of the opening 10than the bottom surface of slot 18 is displaced from the axis of shaft7.

To lock the crank arm to the shaft there is provided a round cotter pin11 of the same diameter as a hole 12 traversing the crank arm. One side13 of the cotter pin has a flat surface at an incline to the axis of thecotter pin. At the end of the cotter pin having the largest flat area isprovided a securing means such as threads. In assembling the crank armto the shaft the arm is slid over the end of the shaft so that the hole12 is in line with the slot on the shaft. The cotter pin 11 is slidthrough the hole 12 so that the two flat surfaces, that of the cotterpin and that of the shaft, are engaged. A nut 14 is attached to thethreads on the cotter pin and draws the cotter pin tight against theflat surface of the shaft.

To prevent contact between the crank arm 3 and the outer race of ballbearing 4 there is provided a washer 15 whose outer diameter is lessthan the inner diameter of the outer race. On the inner side of the ballbearing 4 to prevent it from sliding too far toward the center orengaging any portion of the wheel there is provided on the shaft andwheel combination a surface 16 which also is lesser diameter than theinner diameter of the outer race of the bearing 4.

In the preferred embodiment the shaft is a cold rolled steel of at least/5" steel rod at the bearing surface. The steel rod is hardened afterultimate forming so as to provide extra strength.

The wheel itself is attached to the shaft by a novel arrangement of thisinvention through a hub or flange 9 to which the spokes are attached atthe inner end.

This hub flange is attached to the shaft preferably by a forced frictionfit, the opening 17 of the flange generally conforming in contour to theoutside surface of the shaft at the point of contact but being slightlysmaller in diameter than the outside surface of the shaft. The fitbetween the parts is an inerference fit. Although not necessary, it isoften desirable to provide corresponding flat surfaces on the outersurface of the shaft and the inner surface of the hole on the hubflange.

By providing a hub flange not an integral part of the shaft, it isfeasible to use a sheet metal stock which is stamped into an appropriateshape to correspond with the contour of the shaft and at its outerperiphery to be inclined generally inward to correspond with the angleof the spokes from the wheel. The hub flange may be pressed in a singlepressing out of cold rolled steel stock of 14 gauge. It may be made outof any other metal of corresponding strength in appropriate thickness byother means, such as machining.

One of the major elements in itself and in the combination of thisinvention is the novel fork providtd. This fork, not only is inexpensiveto manufacture, easy to assemble, but it also provides an eflficient andquick method for disassembling for access to the. wheel and to ship in adisassembled condition. The arrangement also provides a system foradjusting the level of the seat without a separate mechanism.

In the prior art devices the fork is usually made by having the two armsof the fork made of the same piece with the neck being of the secondpiece welded to the two arms to provide the neck for attachment of aseat in a unicycle or the handle bars in the case of a bicycle.

Alternatively, it is possible to build up a fork arrangement from aseries of arms, a neck, a connecting link, and bolts. With these priorart arrangements it is necessary to provide means for removing the wheelat the extremity of the forks which means are either very complicated orrelatively insecure or unsafe. In the present invention the frk.5comprises two congruent elements 21, which, in the case of a unicycle,are identical so as to reduce the expenses of forming, inventory, and tosimplify assembly. Each of these two parts is composed of a flat barwhich has "been formed in a press to provide two flat arms with enlargedflattened ends to receive the axle bearing at one extremity and toprovide a flat S or reverse curve extending into mating semicircularhalves at the other extremity. The transverse semi-circular curve in thebar extends through the first or top. part, and preferably through thesecond part, of the flat 8 curve so as to provide structural strengthand rigidity to the fork.

If the flat bars were merely shaped into the reverse or 8 curve withoutthe transverse or semi-circular curvature, the fork would not havesufficient resistance to deformation and bending at the 8 curves,particularly at the upper point. It would be possible to overcome thatweakness by using larger bar stock but it is preferred, in the interestof reduced weight and cost to provide the binary fork with the double ortransverse curvature. Not only are the weight and material cost reduced,but a novel arrangement is also provided for receiving the seat posts;The two halves of the fork are held together by appropriate clamps 29 ofstandard type such as strap clamps, U brackets or by bolts extendingthrough the two halves. In the preferable embodiment of thepresentrinvention of the unicycle, the two 'halves of the neck do notquite form a full circle. Into the cavity provided by the two halves andthe. neck, the post of a seat is inserted and held tight therein to anadjustable height by the aforementioned clamps. Another arrangement isto hold the two halves of the neck together by a sleeve that slides overthe outside. Combinations of these arrangements may also be used.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to 'be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit. andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter and it is contemplatedthat various changes may be made in the embodiment s of the inventionherein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothingherein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its conceptor structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed; Y

l. A unicycle comprising a fork means including an identical pair ofrods shaped into a curved cross section at the upper end so as toproduce an almost completely circular hollow tube neck when the pair arebrought together, each of said rods extending downwardly into outwardlyflaring reverse curves while retaining a curved cross section but endingin. flat parallel prong sections with circular openings, clamping meansfor holding the upper ends of the rods together, ball bearing meansfixed into circular opening of each of the prong sections of the fork,an axle rotatably supported insaid bearings, 21

pair of hub flanges attached through an interference flt circular hollowtube neck when the pair are brought together, each of said rodsextending downwardly into outwardly flaring reverse curves whileretaining the curved cross section but ending in flat parallel prongsections with circular openings, means for holding the upper ends of therods together, bearing means fixed in the circular opening of each ofthe prong sections of the fork, an axle rotatably supported in saidbearings, a pair of hub flanges attached through an interference fit tosaid axle in a symmetrically spaced relationship, a spoked wheel havingthe inner ends of the spokes attached to one of the peripheries of saidhub flanges, a pair of pedal crank means attached to the extremities ofsaid axle, and a seat the post of which is inserted in the hollow tubeneck formed 'by the two rods of the fork and held tightly by thepressure of the holding means on said rods applied against the post.

3. A unicycle comprising a fork means including an identical pair ofrods shaped into a curved cross section at the upper end so as toproduce an almost completely circular hollow tube neck when the pair arebrought together, each of said rods extending downwardly into outwardlyflaring reverse curves while retaining the curved cross section throughat least the upper curve but ending in flat parallel prong sections withcircular openings, means for holding the upper ends of the rodstogether,

. 7 bearing means fixed in the circular opening of the prong sections ofthe fork, an axle rotatably supported in said bearings, 21 wheelattached to said axle, a pair of pedal crank means attached to theextremities of said axle, and a seat the post of which is inserted inthe hollow tube neck formed by the two rods of the fork and held tightlyby the pressure of said rods applied by the holding means.

4. In a unicycle a combination of a fork means including an identicalpair of rods shaped into a curved :cross section at the upper end so asto produce an almost completely circular hollow tube neck when the pairare brought together, each of said rods extending downwardly intooutwardly flaring reverse curves while retaining the curved crosssection through at' least the upper curve but ending in flat paralielprong sections with circular openings, means for holding the upper endsof the rods together, bearing means fixed in the circular opening of ofthe fork and held tightly by the pressure of the hold- 7 ing means onsaid rods applied against the post.

5. In a unicycle the combination of a fork means in- V eluding anidentical pair of rods shaped into a curved to said axle in asymmetrically spaced relationship, a

spoked wheel having the inner ends of the spokes attached to one of theperipherieso'f said hub flanges, a

I pair of pedal crank means attached to the extremities of said axle,and a seat the post of which is inserted in the hollow tube neck formed'by the two rods of the fork, said seat and post being held in apre-determined 70 7 cross section at the upper'end so as to provide analmost completely circular hollow tube neck when the pairs are broughttogether, each of said rods extending downwardly into flaring reversecurves while retaining the curved cross section through at least theupper curve but ending in flat-parallel prong sections, means forholding the upper ends of the rods together, and a seat, the postof'which is inserted in the hollow tube'neck formed by the two rods ofthe fork and held tightly by the pressure of the holding means on saidrods applied against the i References Cited in the file of this patent 7UNITED STATES PATENTS Lea"; Aug. 11,1885

Waite July 13, 1886 Phillips Aug. 23 1960

1. A UNICYCLE COMPRISING A FORK MEANS INCLUDING AN IDENTICAL PAIR OFRODS SHAPED INTO A CURVED CROSS SECTION AT THE UPPER END SO AS TOPRODUCE AN ALMOST COMPLETELY CIRCULAR HOLLOW TUBE NECK WHEN THE PAIR AREBROUGHT TOGETHER, EACH OF SAID RODS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO OUTWARDLYFLARING REVERSE CURVES WHILE RETAINING A CURVED CROSS SECTION BUT ENDINGIN FLAT PARALLEL PRONG SECTIONS WITH CIRCULAR OPENINGS, CLAMPING MEANSFOR HOLDING THE UPPER ENDS OF THE RODS TOGETHER, BALL BEARING MEANSFIXED INTO CIRCULAR OPENING OF EACH OF THE PRONG SECTIONS OF THE FORK,AN AXLE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID BEARINGS, A PAIR OF HUB FLANGESATTACHED THROUGH AN INTERFERENCE FIT TO SAID AXLE IN A SYMMETRICALLYSPACED RELATIONSHIP, A SPOKED WHEEL HAVING THE INNER ENDS OF THE SPOKESATTACHED TO ONE OF THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID HUB FLANGES, A PAIR OF PEDALCRANK MEANS ATTACHED TO THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID AXLE, AND A SEAT THEPOST OF WHICH IS INSERTED IN THE HOLLOW TUBE NECK FORMED BY THE TWO RODSOF THE FORK, SAID SEAT AND POST BEING HELD IN A PRE-DETERMINED POSITIONBY THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY THE CLAMP AGAINST THE RODS AND IN TURN ON THEPOST OF SAID SEAT.